Evidence of meeting #73 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was questions.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
The process will take from two years to two and a half years.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
When exactly will we know whether the census questionnaire contains the necessary questions to better enumerate rights-holders?
Director General, Census Subject Matter, Social and Demographic Statistics, Statistics Canada
That's a good question. You will know it once the information has been published in the Canada Gazette. It becomes secret once we recommend the questions to the government, to Minister Navdeep Bains. Then the cabinet approval process comes into play.
Liberal
Director General, Census Subject Matter, Social and Demographic Statistics, Statistics Canada
You will get the answer in spring 2020.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, everyone.
I have a few general questions. So I will let you decide who will answer.
How many French Canadians are there in the country right now?
I'm not talking about francophiles, but about French Canadians born to French Canadian mothers.
What did the latest censuses say about that?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
I suggest, regardless of the definition criterion—and there are many of them—
Conservative
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
—that you watch the video of Elvis Gratton defining a French Canadian.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
What I am interested in are children born to French Canadian mothers.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
We are talking about roughly 1 million people.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Roughly 1 million people.
Director General, Census Subject Matter, Social and Demographic Statistics, Statistics Canada
Those are francophones outside Quebec.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
Are you talking about the number of francophones in Canada?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
The figure is approximately 8 million people.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay.
Since the coming into force of the Constitution Act of 1982, and the application of section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, has the proportion of rights-holders in Canada decreased, increased or remained stable? Regardless of whether or not the number of francophones is accurate, what do the figures show? What does the situation look like?
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
I cannot give you an answer on rights-holders because the 2006 post-censal survey on the vitality of official language minorities was the first time we were able to enumerate rights-holders according to the three criteria set out in section 23 of the charter.
If we use only the most important criterion in Canada outside Quebec, that of French as a mother tongue, the number has always increased and continues to do so.
Assistant Director, Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division, Statistics Canada
The demographic weight is decreasing, but the number of people is increasing.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay, I understand.
Is there another way for Statistics Canada to help the federal government enumerate rights-holders, such as by using the social insurance number?
I am not judging Statistics Canada, only asking the question. After all, there are all sorts of tools at our disposal.
When my son and my daughter were born, in Quebec, I answered the questions. Of course, I don't know where they will live later. However, there are all kinds of ways to track an individual's movement, including passport applications. That's only one example.
Doesn't Canada have other tools to determine who rights-holders are?
Senior Director, Policy and Research, Official Languages Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
The description of a rights-holder provided in section 23 of the charter is fairly specific.
